Renewable Energy Association Requests MNRE to Review Solar Modules Online Amidst COVID-19

The Renewable Energy Association of Rajasthan (REAR) has announced that it has written to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), requesting for it to start piloting online pre-dispatch inspections (PDI) of the domestic content requirement (DCR) certified solar modules.

The request has been made to the government in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The association, on behalf of all empaneled vendors under phase-II of the grid-connected rooftop solar (RTS) program, wrote that while the PDI process is very vital to guarantee the quality of the components used in the program, it was not a good idea to conduct physical inspections in these times.

It elucidated that conducting the inspection online through video conferences would not only ease any project delays, but it would also avoid excessive expenditure and putting human lives at risk.

The association added that, given the times, every possible process had been migrated to online modes to accommodate issues created by the COVID-19 pandemic. It asked the ministry to revise its guidelines for the program and issue instructions to nodal agencies as soon as possible to avoid any further project delays.